400 Beach St
Santa Cruz, CA

See all the sides of Santa Cruz with these recommendations from the assistant general manager at Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley.

6001 La Madrona Dr
Santa Cruz, CA

Jeromey Lopez will tell you that the coastal city of Santa Cruz has multiple personalities, and they’re all cool. “The beautiful thing about Santa Cruz is that it has everything,” he says. “We have mountains, forests, and beautiful parks to go hiking and mountain biking. We have ocean activities like surfing, whale watching, kayaking, and fishing. We have the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and a lively downtown with shops and restaurants. Everybody finds something they like here.”

West Cliff Drive

Santa Cruz, California, United States

Another way to savor the coastline is to walk along West Cliff Drive, Lopez says. “There’s a wide sidewalk that runs for a couple of miles along the cliffs and past some beautiful homes. You have views over Monterey Bay the whole time. Most of Santa Cruz faces south, but along West Cliff Drive near the lighthouse and surfing museum, you’re on a little jetty where you face west. That makes it an ideal place for a stroll at sunset.”

Felton, CA

Visitors can also explore the Santa Cruz Mountains’ redwood forests. “Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is only a 10-minute drive from our hotel. They have a nice visitor center and an easy, self-guided walk through some really big redwoods,” he says. “If you’re an adventurous hiker, there are more advanced trails. The park is family-friendly, and it caters to all levels of hikers.”

5401 Graham Hill Rd
Felton, CA

If you’d rather admire the redwoods from a comfy seat, Lopez recommends riding the Roaring Camp Railroad’s narrow-gauge steam train, an authentically preserved relic from Santa Cruz’s 19th-century logging era.

21 Municipal Wharf
Santa Cruz, CA

Learn more about exploring Santa Cruz from a local in the link below!